Overview

A masterly synthesis of the history of the contemporary world, The World Since 1945 offers the ideal introduction to the events of the period between the end of the Second World War and the present day. P. M. H. Bell and Mark Gilbert balance a clear narrative with in-depth analysis to guide the reader through the aftermath of the Second World War, the Cold War, decolonization, D¿tente and the Arab-Israeli Conflict, up to the on-going ethnic strife and political instability of the 21st century. The new edition has been thoroughly revised to fully reflect developments in the history and historiography of the post-war world, and features five new chapters on the post-Cold War world, covering topics including: - The rise and fall of American hegemony - The decline of Europe - The rise of Asia - Political Islam as a global force - The role of human rights The World Since 1945 challenges us to better understand what happened and why in the post-war period and shows the ways in which the past continues to exercise a profound influence on the present. It is essential reading for any student of contemporary history.

Table of contents

List of Maps List of Illustrations Acknowledgements Introduction Prologue: A New Era in International Politics 1. The Second World War and its consequences 2. The beginning of the post-war world The Cold War, 1945-1962 3. The antagonists 4. From Potsdam to the Marshall Plan, 1945-47 5. From the Prague Coup to the North Atlantic Treaty, 1948-49 6. From Korea to Hungary, 1949-1956 7. The Berlin and Cuba Crises, 1957-1962 Reflection: The Cold War in its early phases Decolonization and Wars of Succession, 1945-1960s 8. The Middle East, 1945-c. 1962 9. Transformation in Asia, 1945-1962 10. The New Africa 11. The Bandung Conference, 1955 and Non-alignment 12. Latin America Contested, 1945-1973 Reflection: The 'Third World' The Cold War: D¿tente 13. The Cold War and D¿tente, 1963-1969 14. The high tide of d¿tente, 1969-1975 15. The end of d¿tente, 1976-1980 Reflection: The essence of d¿tente The Changing World Order, 1960s-1990s 16. The Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1963-1982 17. The Geopolitics of Oil, 1973-91 18. The Rise of Asia, c.1962-1990s 19. Turmoil in Africa, c.1962-1990s 20. Latin America in World Affairs, 1970s-1990s Reflection: Where is Europe? The Ending of the Cold War 21. Renewed Cold War, 1980-85 22. Gorbachev and Reagan, 1985-88 23. Three years that shook the world, 1989-91 Reflection: The Cold War in Retrospect After the Cold War 24. Global Issues 25. Nationalism, Political Conflict, and War in Europe 26. The Wounded Hegemon 27. Democracy and Human Rights Further reading Index